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PHCN Staff Electrocuted

Tragedy struck on Agric Bus Stop, along Badagry expressway, when a staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Ganiyu Okanlawon, was electrocuted on an 11,000 voltage powerline, while performing his duty.

Tragedy struck on Agric Bus Stop, along Badagry expressway, when a staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Ganiyu Okanlawon, was electrocuted on an 11,000 voltage powerline, while performing his duty.

Before last Fridayís incident, P.M.News learnt that another PHCN staff in Satellite Town, identified as Kaso, died in a similar circumstance, about a month ago.

Investigations revealed that Okanlawon, also known as Alfa, had earlier called his colleagues at the Satellite Town power distribution branch of the company, to inform them that he was about to climb a powerline in the area to disconnect electricity supply to a debtor.

P.M.News findings revealed that the deceased did not follow the normal procedures in disconnecting electricity specified by the PHCN management. It was gathered that he mounted the powerline and was trying to disconnect electricity when power was restored and he got electrocuted.

When P.M.News visited the scene of the incident, his body was completely drained of all fluid and stiff when it was removed from the powerline by sympathisers and some of his colleagues. The corpse was taken to the Maryland branch of Eko Hospital and deposited in the morgue.

P.M.News learnt that it took more than an hour before information got to his colleagues at the power station to switch off electricity in the area, to save him. A colleague of the deceasedís, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described him as a hardworking technician.

"He was an easy going man and one of the best hands we have here. Nobody would have wished him dead but I believe his death would teach others a lesson. "He would not have died if he had followed the procedures. But having failed to do so, he lost his life. This will serve as a lesson to others," he said.

When P.M.News visited the Satellite Town branch of PHCN, where the deceased worked, yesterday, workers wore sombre looks, as they discussed the death. P.M.News gathered that a prayer session would be held for the repose of his soul, later in the day.